You never know with on air personalities. Much of it is schtick. Look at Mr All-American Matt Lauer. I've heard many people say that Oprah is a major b____ the minute the camera goes off at her show tapings. You never know.

Being a cheap bastard, I never subscribed to his site.....(always believing there's enough free shit to read), but often watched his morning java segment...just watched it this morning, in fact.

He always impressed me as somewhat nerdy, perhaps a dick, but in a nerdy sort of way.....not offensive....but certainly not the kind of guy who would be a mega-asshole to work for and who would involve himself in shit that's being alleged.

Now....Madden on the other hand.

Two personal, first-hand examples of why Madden is way better than DK.

Dejan used to do a weekly hit on Joe Bendel's show. It was a sponsored segment so Dejan got paid for it. I would call him during the commercial break right before his segment and get him ready to go. Every single time I called he treated me like an asshole. I spoke with more famous, richer, and less liked guys than him on a daily basis and he was the only one who treated me like a dick.

One time Joe wanted to push Dejan's segment back to the next hour so I called to ask. Dejan said No, which is his right. But he said "I don't have anything going on in the next hour but I think it's highly disrespectful of Joe to bump me back."

Which is...whatever. I'm not gonna rip him for his opinion. So I tell Joe. We have Dejan on at the regular time and Dejan is once again a dick to me but even worse...he calls Joe out on the air for wanting to bump him back. And it wasn't in a playful way. He interrupted Joe's first question to bombard him with a complaint. Joe gritted his teeth through the rest of the segment. Then during the break immediately told me he was never having Dejan back and then called our program director to bitch about it. Dejan never came back on our show and Joe told me once that Dejan texted him and told him his show needed Dejan.

Madden on the other hand once went to bat to re-hire a former producer of his who left for a better paying job. When the guy told Madden he had a family and couldn't afford the pay Madden ponied up the extra money to bring the guy in.

Another time I was hanging out in the studio while they recorded a hockey interview and when the guy being interviewed got smart with his producer Madden told the guy off, made him apologize, and then goofed on him during the interview.

Madden is a great dude as far as I'm concerned.

That is cute that you have a good past working history with Mark Madden. But the point is he willing puts out a persona of a misogynistic blowhard sleaze ball and that is how Joe Public sees him. Not really who you would want in your corner defending you for being a misogynistic blowhard sleaze ball.

_________________Neal Huntington on what he's been told by his bosses about $$$: "We've got assurances we're going to be able to continue to do what we've done."